1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to solar tracking and collection apparatus, and in particular, to flat plate collectors including solar reflector means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For many years there has been an increasing interest in the utilization of energy transmitted from the sun to dry grains, heat water, and to heat homes and office buildings. This interest is solar heating has been intensified in recent years because of shortages and higher costs of existing fuels. As a result, many types of solar furnaces have come into being, including hot water systems, hot air systems, and electrical systems. Such solar furnaces, however, have been typified by stationary collectors having extremely large collector plates which are inherently inefficient, and by tracking systems having expensive parabolic collectors and reflectors which are inefficient because of their incomplete tracking capabilities. Typical examples of prior art solar tracking and collecting systems include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,991,151; 3,997,796; 3,993,041; 4,004,574; issued to St. Clair, Keyes, Diggs, and Barr, respectively.